Getting ready

After some hot and busy days in the port of Balboa to get all research equipment and food for the next seven weeks on board, we are quickly and smoothly sailing towards our first sampling area in the German License area. The transit days gave us enough time to set up our laboratories and gear and to prepare chemical solutions for the sample analyses. However, preparations for deep-sea expeditions are very time consuming, since everything has to be thoroughly planned several months in advance. The major preparations for this cruise have already started last summer when hundreds of sampling containers had to be ordered and cleaned, before they were shipped to Panama. They are now stowed away on board waiting to be filled with sediment and water samples in the upcoming weeks.

The geochemistry lab onboard- Sonne;Copyright I Preuss

The transit days also give us time to become more acquainted with the ship, including safety drills, but also for meetings to discuss sampling procedures and to learn about other sampling devices deployed during this cruise.The RV Sonne provides an amazing working environment with modern laboratories and comfortable cabins. I am looking forward to work and live on board together with an international and interdisciplinary team for the next weeks. This will also allow me to gain first-hand insights into deep-sea mining aspects beyond geochemistry, such as sediment-plume studies and deep-sea biology.